I use a software programme called MagicDVDRipper and I select .avi as the format I want when it copies DVD's. It will copy bought DVD's but not for me as I am to mean to buy them. I get the programmes and films from the TV and store them on a Hardrives so I can view them later when in the motorhome. When you download the software from the website you can also download a DivX file which I recommend you do.

Our Avtex TV has a habit for turning off DivX and if you look on here you will find advise on how to turn it on again.

I use the MagicDVDRipper software, about £40, as I tried several and I could get that one to work. I have used it for many films and TV programmes and it has been well worth it. When I find a simpler method of capturing the films I will be very happy.

The TV requires the Hardrive to be Fat32 formatted like a USB stick. I have got Transcend Hardrives which come Fat32 formatted . However they have to be USB 2 units (orange) which Amazon don't seem to be offering now, not USB 3 (Green). So unless you can get USB2 units I would suggest you get a large USB stick, non USB3 just in case although I think one I have is okay, and load on it the films etc you want to watch from your Hardrive which then can be any format. Please note that we have a Transcend 1tb hardrive and whilst it is supposed to be back compatable with USB 2 the TV cannot see the files properly.
i
A standard film takes up about 1-1.3GB of storage so a 1tb hardrive will store a lots of films.

I use a software programme called MagicDVDRipper and I select .avi as the format I want when it copies DVD's. It will copy bought DVD's but not for me as I am to mean to buy them. I get the programmes and films from the TV and store them on a Hardrives so I can view them later when in the motorhome. When you download the software from the website you can also download a DivX file which I recommend you do.

Our Avtex TV has a habit for turning off DivX and if you look on here you will find advise on how to turn it on again.

I use the MagicDVDRipper software, about £40, as I tried several and I could get that one to work. I have used it for many films and TV programmes and it has been well worth it. When I find a simpler method of capturing the films I will be very happy.

The TV requires the Hardrive to be Fat32 formatted like a USB stick. I have got Transcend Hardrives which come Fat32 formatted . However they have to be USB 2 units (orange) which Amazon don't seem to be offering now, not USB 3 (Green). So unless you can get USB2 units I would suggest you get a large USB stick, non USB3 just in case although I think one I have is okay, and load on it the films etc you want to watch from your Hardrive which then can be any format. Please note that we have a Transcend 1tb hardrive and whilst it is supposed to be back compatable with USB 2 the TV cannot see the files properly.
i
A standard film takes up about 1-1.3GB of storage so a 1tb hardrive will store a lots of films.

I find it easier to play it through the laptop to the TV using VLC media player via the HDMI port then it doesn't matter what format it is in.
P.S. VLC is free and I haven't yet found a format it won't play

I find it easier to play it through the laptop to the TV using VLC media player via the HDMI port then it doesn't matter what format it is in.

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...or even a cheap tablet - bizarrely the cheaper ones tend to come with an HD expansion slot & HDMI socket. [plus if only to be used as a player via TV you don't need to worry about expensive bits like screen & processor]

...or even a cheap tablet - bizarrely the cheaper ones tend to come with an HD expansion slot & HDMI socket. [plus if only to be used as a player via TV you don't need to worry about expensive bits like screen & processor]

Click to expand...

So many solutions today. Raspberry Pi is £30 of powerful computer with HDMI out that makes a decent media player for those with a bit of skill to set it up. £30 and far more powerful than the original IBM PC at £5,500 ( I have the receipt ) which did not even have high res graphics. The 5" floppy drives were about £500 each.

Some USB HDD need more power than some sockets provide - as you've discovered.
One solution if you have two sockets on your TV, is a double cable eg
Example only as much depends on what plug you need for the hard drive.

@hilldweller Raspberry Pi sounds good but I have no electronics skills nor know how to wield a soldering iron.

Thanks Brian. 32gb USB FAT32 works OK, but it doesn't recognise the FAT32 portable hard drive. I just assumed it was too power hungry..........

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I have no experience of this, as like @PaulB I'm new to all this and haven't yet had time to sort it out, but I read a post on another forum where a user had experimented with his Avtex TV playing from media storage and found that 32GB FAT32 was the maximum size USB stick or other storage that the TV would recognise. The solution for larger external hard drives was to format them into a number of separate partitions, each 32GB or less.

Another post recommended the Cyclone multimedia player as an alternative. Another link in the chain, but it plays AV files in a variety of formats, and he stated that by plugging the Cyclone into the Avtex via an HDMI lead, you could plug pretty much any size drive into it and it would play almost anything. The Cyclone seems to be available for about £28 - £32 on various web sites. I've been thinking of getting one.

I had a linux Asus for awhile worked fine.
But how might that be better than say the Cylone Media Player as mentioned above?Amazon Link
Appreciate the Pi has a lot more flexibility [if you can program it] and the Cyclone is a one trick pony.

I have 2 of the Transcend hardrives shown above by @PaulB, One is 1TB and the other is 640GB. Both Hardrives were formatted Fat32 when they were received and all I have done is loaded files onto them. I have not partitioned them in any way. I also have an old hardrive from a previous computer which is Fat32 formatted and that works fine as well.

I can plug these into the USB socket on my 16" W163DR TV which we have had for a few years. The TV recognises the contents of the Hardrives and provided DivX is On in the internal menu it can read the file names and play them.

I had a linux Asus for awhile worked fine.
But how might that be better than say the Cylone Media Player as mentioned above?
Appreciate the Pi has a lot more flexibility [if you can program it] and the Cyclone is a one trick pony.

Click to expand...

You've summed it up perfectly. If the cyclone does just what you want. job done.

But if not then there is a chance the Pi could be loaded with a different player. The Pi is up for Kodi too. And of course emails and internet. What's more it's British, with a British processor though the Japs have just bought ARM for £24,000,000,000.

I have a Pi but I've just not been inspired to do anything special with it. For the MH our standard TV does all the media work we need. Just clipped a 1TB HD on the back with rips of all our DVDs and some off air movies.